Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Trash duty leads to priceless treasure

Sometimes KDOT workers happen upon items that can brighten someone's day. As reported last week, crews across the state clean up messes along Kansas' highways. A news story recently published by KMBC News explains how KDOT employee Rodney Wright found an item that holds personal value. Find the story below and a link to the video after.

GARDNER, Kan. —

A Gardner woman
believes a little divine intervention can explain how her lost Bible was
returned to her after it was found off a highway.

"This is a
beautiful mess," said Rhonda Thompson. "It’s amazing."

Thompson's Bible held
a special place in her heart because it belonged to her husband, Mike. It
served as the guestbook at his funeral.

Thompson carries the
good book to church every weekend, putting it in the seat right next to her in
the van until two weeks ago.

"I just set the
drink and the Bible up there (on top of the van)," Thompson said. "I
went around and drove off.”

Two days later, trash
duty brought Kansas Department of Transportation worker Rodney Wright to the
side of Highway 56.

"I noticed right
away that it was a Bible," Wright said.

But what Wright didn't
know at the time was that the Bible had a personal connection for him.

"I didn't put two
and two together that it was my old friend Mike's Bible," Wright said.

One of those days at
work dealing with trash became treasure for one of Mike's dearest friends.

“He was … he was there
for me in a time of my life when I really needed somebody to hold onto,"
Wright said.

"Sometimes things
that just do not make sense -– it doesn’t make any physics sense that a car hit
it and it didn’t just blow all over the place. We’re right by the
highway," Thompson said.

“But God is definitely
the one that put me there to find it," Wright said.

It’s a story of
amazing grace.

"Explain this
stuff to me then, because this feels like Jesus Christ to me," Rhonda
Thompson said. “No matter what, God just kept bringing it back together."Check out the video here